


Family Relations

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Series: Gods, Spirts, and Souls [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: A lot of creative liberty taken here, Cultural Differences, Family, Family Secrets, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, References to Other Materials/Canons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-05-30 03:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15088505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: What if Kagami comes from a family with a spiritual background originating from Japan? Maybe there's another reason why the Kiseki no Sedai came together, broke apart and came back together again. When Kagami's mother and father come to visit him from America, this spiritual heir learns there is more to his generation's prodigies than he knowingly believed and that he knows more about them than they even thought.(There is a lot to tag and I don't want to spam the summary, so I will put additional tags on top of each chapter if needed. Please read them before you proceed. Thank you.)[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION.]





	1. Mother & Father

<Baby,> Chiyo greeted, a woman with raven hair and eyes, her usually mask-like expression greatly softened in the most affectionate smile. She was wearing a burgundy business casual, suitcases at her and her husband's feet and a bag over her shoulders. She was tall for a full-blooded Japanese woman, even without the two inches added by her heels. Above her eyes, almost connecting to her eyebrows, were twin birthmarks denoting the old aristocrat blood in her, and it made her eyebrows seem split, a feature her son inherited. _Like hikimayu_ , she told him a long time ago.

Kagami didn't expected them to come all the way to Japan without any warning at the start of summer break, blinking speechlessly at the sight of his parents.

<Taiga?> said Yū, the man Kagami inherited most of his appearance from. The Kagami family had red hair that was very strong despite many generations of having children with foreign blood, and both he and his son had inherited it. The shades differed here and there, the older man a tad light than his son. He smiled kindly, detracting how frightening his height could be to others, dressed in the same manner as his wife. <Aren't you going to respond? She's waiting.>

<Ah, yeah,> Kagami finally said, getting himself together. He turned his mother and smiled. “Welcome home, Mom.”

“I’m home, Taiga,” Chiyo replied, reaching up to pat her son on the head like she did when he was younger. It was a habit that neither had yet to let go of.

“Oh, sorry.”

Kagami moved aside, and Chiyo and Yū came in, pulling their thing with them, leaving their bags by the hallway. Kagami immediately went into the island kitchen and started pulling out ingredients for a full course dinner. He wasn't sure when they last ate a whole meal together, but he was sure it was about time to eat anyway.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, putting on an apron. “Not that I don't want you here. You didn't tell me anything.”

“We were going to call you last week, but your dad thought it would be a good idea to keep it a surprise,” Chiyo explained, sitting at the island counter to watch her son cook. Yū sat right next to her. “We came with the mind of checking in on you and meeting the people you've made friends with, and we'd like to introduce you to several people we left behind here, especially my brother.”

Kagami paused. He didn't have actual "blood related to your father and/or mother’ uncles or aunts, right?

Yū chuckled, catching the look on his son’s face. “We never mentioned it to you, huh?” he asked. “Your mother and I have an older brother and an older sister respectively, but her brother had to cut us off because of strict family relations. My sister married her brother, actually, so I didn't have contact with my sister as well, up to when she died from poor health.”

“And he's talking to you again?” Kagami asked, going back to cooking. “Why?”

“It's been years since my parents and Shiori had passed away,” Chiyo said. “And the Togami family is still a good connection to have, blood or otherwise. I think it's because Seijūrō is getting older and will be taking over the family company.”

“That name sounds very familiar. I think I had a game against some guy name Seijūrō. Hey, Mom, what was your last name before?”

Chiyo smiled, and said, “Akashi.”

_Bang!_

“You're okay, Taiga?” Yū asked, getting up to help pick up the pan Kagami had in his hands. His wife looked on, worried. He set it on the table, waving a hand in front of his son’s face, looking for a response. “Taiga?”

Taiga nodded, looking a little shocked. “My cousin is Akashi Seijūrō?” he asked in disbelief. Oh, he thought his side of the family from Europe was weird, but _no_ , so was his side in Japan. What was he going to _do_ with this information?

“Oh, have you met him already?” Chiyo asked, smiling again as she chuckled into her hand. “What good luck. Are you friends, Taiga?”

“Not friends, more like a rival I begrudgingly respect,” Taiga replied, sighing. He still had to make dinner. “I'm related to _that_ creepy guy.”

“Did he do something to you, Taiga?” his mother asked, frowning.

Kagami thought over what he should say to her. She sounded happy when she spoke about her brother—the uncle he never knew he had—and Akashi—the cousin he never knew he had. She was hoping to hear about good things, and he didn't want his own personal experience with the shorter redhead to disappoint her.

“I don't know much about him,” he began, “but I know he's really good at basketball. He's my age, but he's already the captain of his school’s team in middle and high school. And I think he's already also president of the student council or something. I can ask Kuroko if you want to know more. They went to middle school together.”

“That would be lovely,” Chiyo replied, and Kagami stepped out of the kitchen to grab his phone. <Thank you, baby.>

“Kuroko?” his father said in a curious tone. “Is she a friend of yours?”

 _“He_ , Dad,” Kagami corrected, typing a text to his best friend. _What can you tell me about Akashi?_ “Yeah, and we just started dating a few months ago. His name is Tetsuya.”

“Dating? You have to introduce us, Taiga. Why didn't you tell us until now?”

Kagami shrugged as he turned around, going back to cooking after he sent the text. Truth be told, he kind of forgotten about telling his parents. They knew to give him a lot of privacy, and Kagami liked it like that so when they spoke over the phone, they mostly spoke about things they each brought up. And this _relationship_ was kind of new because Kagami had never been in this kind before. Really, he hadn't been in many relationship before, a really temporary girlfriend who lasted two weeks before she decided he was too awkward and basketball was the only thing he was good at. So explaining it to his parents seemed like a work. That, and he didn't know how his parents would take to having _two_ boyfriends.

“I might have forgotten about telling you?” he reasoned. “AndImalsodatinghisbestfriend.”

He imagined that his parents, being observant people, were blinking, speechless because did they just really heard all that?

“You're dating two people?” Chiyo asked.

“Y-yeah,” Kagami hesitantly answered. “His name is Daiki. They both really love basketball too.”

He looked over his shoulder, almost too scared too, but he had to see how his parents would react to this head-on. It'd make him stronger as a person, he told himself.

Chiyo was smiling, her double brows uplifted as her dark eyes shimmered lovingly. "I knew my baby would be loved twice as much,” she said. “And I was right. Two people to love my baby. I'm so happy for you, Taiga.”

Kagami blushed, remembering how embarrassed he got when his mother spoke about him. He was her baby, a moniker she gained after living in LA for a few years as he grew up. <Mom,> he said timidly, looking away because he just couldn't look at anyone without bursting into smokes right now.

“We definitely have to meet them,” Yū said, chuckling happily. He went over to his son and pulled him in for a hug, their heights almost matching, but the older man was more adept and used to being the giving end of a hug. “They sound like good people if you like them.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Kagami replied, finding himself smiling with teeth as he returned the hug.

His father was mixed and grew up in a household less formal than a typical Japanese one, so growing up, his father would give him a lot of affectionate touches. And Kagami knew his mother grew up in a far stricter household, so she rarely touch so openly but the small things were what many took for granted. It must have been weird to grow up with parents who grew up so different, but it was family.

Kagami sent another text to Kuroko, almost done with cooking. “You're not disappointed, right?” he asked, wanting to make sure. Sometimes, the people who loved you pretend they were okay when really, they were not. “Or weirded out?”

“I can't deny polygamist relationships are uncommon,” Yū said, going through the cabinets to find the bowls and utensils, and he smiled. “But I'm far from disappointed. I like that you managed to find two people who make you happy like that. It's not like I can say I married for convention either, Taiga.”

“It was the reason my brother had to cut us off,” Chiyo continued, touching her wedding ring. “We married for love, and we won't deny you that. We love you very much, baby.”

Again, Kagami blushed, this time because his parents were such saps and if they kept talking, he was going to burst like a water balloon. “Thanks,” he lamely said, dinner ready to eat.

He carefully put out the food on plates and put everything away in the sink to wash later, cleaning up a little as Chiyo took the food into the living space connected to the island kitchen while her husband carried over the bowls and chopsticks. They all say down at the coffee table, which would have to make do until Kagami ever got himself a proper dining table, and Kagami and Chiyo said, “ _Itadakimasu_.”

.

.

.

“Oh, Kuroko texted back,” Kagami said after they'd finished dinner, Yū saying that he'd wash everything in the kitchen as Chiyo heated up some tea she brought with her. Kagami wasn't one to drink anything but water, juice and sports drinks, as she expected. He was sitting  in front of the TV, a college game playing on the screen. “He said Akashi likes tofu soup, and his hobbies include Shogi and horse riding. He’s good at academics and plays the piano and violin. He doesn't like disobedient people.”

“It does truly seem like my brother raised his son like an Akashi,” Chiyo said almost solemn, but she was smiling, getting to know her nephew a little better. “We must see our old friends again while we're back in Japan.”

Suddenly, Kagami had a feeling he was going to have a very, very surprising time. Why did he have that feeling?

* * *

**Original Character Info**

Kagami Chiyo (千世 - “a thousand generations”): She is the younger sister of Akashi Misomi. As an Akashi, she grew up in a strict household, and she later attended the same prestige university as the Kagami siblings. She was the younger classmate of Kagami Shiori, through whom she met Yū through Shiori. She and Yū fell quickly in love, but Chiyo already had a fiancé, a pending marriage arranged by her parents to another heir. They had many discussions and tried to stay apart; however, in the end, they eloped a year later. Her husband's family accepted her quickly, and it wasn't long before she worked her way up in the Togami international branch.

Her name was inspired by the character Sakura Chiyo from _Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun._

Kagami Yū (優 - “excellence, superiority, gentleness”): He is the younger brother of the late Kagami Shiori. He grew up in a more lax household in Japan with his sister and attended a prestige university where the Kagami siblings met Chiyo, whom he met through Shiori. He eloped with Chiyo a year after meeting her because she was already in an arranged marriage. He never attempted to gain his parent-in-laws’ approval because he knew they despised him and would never forgive him for eloping with their daughter. Though he is not as spiritually strong as his son, he possesses a lot of knowledge.

Togami (十神 - “ten gods”) family: It is the main line in which the Kagami family originated from. This idea was inspired by the character Togami Byakuya from _Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc._


	2. Dreaming of Maidens

It was almost sunset when Kagami came back from a few hours at the basketball court, feeling hungry, and his parents probably expected him to be home for dinner. It had only been two days since his parents had surprised him with a visit.

“Mom, Dad,” he called out as he closed the entrance door behind him, “I'm home. Hmm? You two going somewhere?”

“Welcome home, Taiga.” Chiyo greeted, wearing casual outing clothes and a coat. “We're heading to the home of your father's childhood friend. She's invited us to come over for dinner, and your father is very excited.”

“Oh, okay then.”

.

.

.

“Mom, you should've worn better shoes,” Kagami said, having no problem walking the many steps up to the shrine residence, but he knew it was up a small hill a bit far off the way with a _torii_ gate at the very bottom. “It seems pretty far up.”

“I'll be okay,” Chiyo replied with a little smile. It was a good thing they they were wearing loose clothing. “But I think it'd be a good idea to take them off for the rest of the way.”

“I'll hold onto them then,” Yū said, holding his hand out for his wife’s shoes. She leaned against the tree on the pathway and took them off.  

“Thank you, Yū.”

“Anything for you. Please be careful and watch for anything you might step on.”

“I will.”

Kagami decided to walk ahead, letting his parent their moment together, and he wouldn't get second hand embarrassment from being a third wheel. Sure, he was their kid, but even parents need their some time just for themselves when the moment strikes. He grew up watching his parents interacting like this. He wanted them to continue having it.

When they reached up the top of the stairs, Kagami was facing a small shrine, lit well in the night. He was caught in awe of its simplicity, the sensation of peace reaching seeping into his body. There was a balance here, and it was _beautiful_.

“It’s still such a wonderful place,” Yū spoke for them, sighing. Kagami felt his father’s breath release into the air and mix with the peace.

“I never knew there was a place like this so close,” Kagami agreed.  “I'm not sure how I feel about this place.”

“This atmosphere is hard to describe. Oh, hello, you must be Tetsuya-kun.”

Kagami looked over, and he screamed, “Damnit, Kuroko! When did you get there? _Why_ are you here?”

“I've been here, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko answered. “Why are _you_ here? I live here.”

Kagami blinked in surprise. He and Kuroko always parted the last part of their way home after practice, so he never been to Kuroko’s home before. It seemed that his gut feeling was correct.

But for now, rather than confront this fact, Kagami grabbed his boyfriend by the head. “You did it on purpose, didn't you?”

“That hurts. Please let go.”

“Taiga, that's not nice,” Chiyo chided, smacking her son’s hand lightly in warning.

“Okay, okay,” Kagami said, letting go. Then he realized something. “Kuroko, these are my parents, Yū and Chiyo. Uhm, Mom, Dad, this is Kuroko Tetsuya, my b-boyfriend.”

Chiyo smiled at the introduction, nodding in acknowledgement. “It's wonderful to meet you, Tetsuya-kun,” she greeted. “Thank you for taking care of Taiga. I hope I can continue to rely on you.”

“It's nice to meet you too, Chiyo-san,” Kuroko respectfully replied, bowing almost rigidly. Kagami raised an eyebrow at that. He couldn't read his partner’s expression, but he could see that Kuroko was stiff.

“You’re so cute, Tetsuya-kun,” Yū said, totally dismissing all formality and grabbing Kuroko’s face in his hands. The older man chuckled in wonder, scuffling his hands through locks of light blue hair in almost childlike amusement. “You look so much like Aya-chan. It makes me want to squeeze your face until it's purple.”

“It's nice to meet you, Yū-san,” Kuroko tried to say formally, but he was getting flustered by the pair of large hands running through his hair.

Kagami was speechless because it looked like his father was having a lot of fun. He blinked when he thought he saw a light gracing by Kuroko and his father, and when he focused on it, he saw a woman petite and blue, whose presence made it as if her skin was transparent. She was like a fairy, her eyes near completely closed yet seeing everything. She looked like Kuroko, an inch or so shorter than him.

“Ne, ne,” she said softly, her laughter quietly echoing between the trees, “Yū-kun is ruffling Te-chan's feathers like a snake.”

Then with one fluid movement, the woman poked a finger at Yü's side and incited a shocked cry, Yū releasing Kuroko and leaving the smaller boy with an impression of his bed hair. But it didn't take long before Yū recovered, and he created a somewhat familiar picture, his fists grinding against the blue headed woman’s temples with a smiling expression.

“No, Yū-kun,” the woman whined, arms reaching out in a plea, “you're still so mean to me. Chiyo-san, help.”

Chiyo laughed softly, patting her husband by the arm to release the other woman. “Yū,” she said, “let Ayane-san go please. You're frightening Taiga and Tetsuya-kun.”

“Hmm?” Yū asked, unaware of such a reaction. “Ah, yes.” He let go, and the woman, Ayane, wobbled away, pretending to be in near tears.

“Thank you, Chiyo-san,” Ayane said, walking towards her son. She seemed like a wisp of cold air as she moved, purposeful and hard to catch. It was only due to the knowing presence of her spirit that Kagami was able to keep his eyes at her general direction.

She laughed at her son’s appearance and blanked expression. “Te-chan, you need to comb your hair again,” she told him, reaching up to pat his head. “Te-chan? Are you okay?”

“Kuroko?” Kagami said, getting worried because his boyfriend hadn't responded yet. Kuroko was like a blank piece of paper staring. “Dad, you broke him!”

Yū hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, sorry,” he replied, realizing what he'd caused. “I haven't gotten over my urges.”

Kagami clicked his tongue, going as far as shaking his boyfriend back to the world of the living. “Oi, Kuroko,” he said, smacking Kuroko lightly on the face. “He's not responding.”

“You're going to have to carry him inside then,” Ayane said, a hand in her cheek in light concern. “Te-chan probably didn't expect that kind of greeting.”

Yū let out an awkward cough, scratching the back on his neck. “Uhm, my instinct might have mistake you for him, Aya,” he said, forcing laughter, “so I kinda starting squeezing his head. I'm sorry.”

Chiyo let out an uncharacterized snort, taking her shoes back from her husband. “Shall we head in?” she asked, trying to stop her laughter. “Yasu-san and your mother must be waiting, Ayane-san.”

“Yes, Chiyo-san,” Ayane said, gesturing for her guests to follow her through the small shrine. “Please come in.”

Kagami picked Kuroko up by the waist, carrying his boyfriend like a jacket, and they all headed on it. As they made their way towards the house, Kagami stopped right in front of the shrine, sealed with _shimenawa._  The rope were thick and old, probably centuries old, but Kagami could feel a coldness seeping out, a light sigh reaching his ears. Something was sleeping in there.

“Taiga?” Chiyo called for his son.

“Yeah, coming,” Kagami replied, walking again. <Hey, Dad, what's in there?>

Yū hummed in question, looking over his shoulder. <You mean the shrine?> he asked. <The moon god, I believe. At least that was what Missus Kotone told me when I asked her.>

Kagami looked doubtful. <You're saying that _the_ moon god Tsu— >

<It's better not to say his name while on the premise,> his father interjected. <You might wake him up.>

<Dad, what the—>

< _Baby_ ,> Chiyo said in warning. <It doesn't matter what language you're speaking. Do not curse, and mind your manners.>

Kagami blushed in embarrassment. <Sorry.>

The Kuroko residence was unlike many shrines, mostly because the only thing that belonged at a shrine was the shrine itself. The house, however, was more modern and had its own sphere of privacy. If anything, it seemed as if the shrine itself was like a storage warehouse, kept at a distance but close enough to see from the front door. Kagami guessed something had happened to the original house.

“Mother,” Ayane called out as she opened the door for them, “Yū-kun and his family are here.”

And an older woman stepped into the living room, less like a wisp than her daughter but shared all the features of petite and blue. Kagami felt a connection with her. “Yū, it's been so long,” the oldest Kuroko greeted happily. Then she noticed her grandson. “Oh, what happened to Te-chan?”

Kagami immediately dropped Kuroko by accident because he thought the older woman was going to blame him for his boyfriend’s current state. He knew he looked scary enough. “Oh, shit,” the red headed raven cursed, realizing what he had done, and he quickly picked Kuroko up.

“That hurt, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko said, the fall making him come back to his sense.

“S-sorry.”

Chiyo let out a sigh, shaking her head. “You passed on a horrible trait to your son, Yū,” she noted. Ayane was patting her son on the head in comfort.

Yū awkwardly chuckled, switching the attention to his surrogate mother, and he went up to the older woman and clasped her hands in his. “Kotone-san,” he greeted with a boyish smile, “it's been so long. I'm glad to see you in such good health.”

“It has,” Kotone replied, pinching Yū’s cheek like he was still a boy.

Yū tried to pull away, but she was still holding onto him. “You seem to be angry, Kotone-san,” he noted politely, sounding a little nervous.

“Am I, Yū? It's been more than a decade since you've visited, and you couldn't bother to call every so often. You made my dear daughter miss you too much.”

“You know it's hard to make calls, especially since I live in the States now. I respond to all your letters. At least give me some credit for that.”

Kotone let go, quietly fuming just a little at that response. “Don't you go blaming Yasu.”

“I swear I'd never, Kotone-san.”

“I suppose I can forgive you, this time,” the older woman said, finally turning to Kagami and his mother. Her expression softened greatly as she placed her hands on Chiyo’s shoulders in a want greeting. “It's wonderful to see you again, Chiyo.”

“It's wonderful to see you again as well, Kotone-san,” Chiyo replied with the utmost respect. “You haven't aged a day since I’ve last seen you.”

Kotone laughed. Then she looked towards Kagami, who stiffened. “And you must be Taiga,” she said. “You've gotten so big and taken after your father. Maybe a bit too well.”

“I-it’s nice to me-meet you, K-kotone-san,” Kagami fumbled, nervous because the older woman’s eyes were heavy, unlike Kuroko and his mother’s presence. Then he saw the glint of mirth in Ayane’s eyes, and he was struck with the thought that it was on purpose.

“No need to be nervous, Taiga,” Kotone assured. “Let's go settle down. Yasu is patiently waiting for us. If you'd lead the way, Te-chan.”

Kuroko nodded, glancing at his boyfriend before heading into what seemed to be the living room, which was spacious and its walls filled with bookshelves and decor. The style was a mixture of traditional and modern as there was a TV with couches facing it, but the screen was small and there were plush cushions placed all around the low table. A man with black hair and an expressionless face was already there, thin metal glasses resting on his nose as his blank black eyes traced the words on the pages of the book in his hands. His lips read silently along, the lines on around his eyes and lips showing the progress of age.

“Dad,” Kuroko said, “our guests are here.”

The man looked up, nodding in a greeting as he put away his book. His glasses remained. “Yū-san, Chiyo-san,” he said, voice almost monotone yet smooth. “It's been a long time.”

And in the back of his head, Kagami felt the same air coming from the shrine of the moon god coming from this man, Kuroko's father. Yasu was like the coldness of a breath.

 _“You were the one whose presence destroyed the old house of this family,”_ Kagami muttered with a knowledge that just hit him. He felt satisfied, and he was very tempted to cry.

Everyone, except Kotone and his father, looked at Kagami oodly, not understanding what he just said. It had been a long time since he spoken in the tongue of the gods and the divine.

“It's been so long, Yasu,” Yū said, ushering his wife and his childhood friend to sit down with him. Turning back to their reunion, the conversation started amongst the four.

Kagami felt like he was going to choke.

“Are you okay, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asked, noticing his partner’s emotions rather quickly.  

He was about to pull Kagami out of the room for a moment, but his grandmother placed a hand on Kagami’s shoulder first. “You look like you need some fresh air, Taiga,” she said. “Why don't you come outside with me? You should start dinner, Te-chan. Taiga and I will be right back.”

Kuroko looked doubtful, but Kagami gave him a nod because he needed a moment. “Don't stay outside too long, Grandma,” he replied, a finger softly caressing Kagami’s hand in comfort. “It's cold out tonight.”

“Yes, yes, now go sit.”

Kuroko gave Kagami one last look before he joined his parents and their friends. Kotone pulled Kagami out of the house in silence, their feet making way towards the small shrine without planning. Tears finally started to fall, and Kagami let out a sob of relief.

 _“You felt it the first time,”_ Kotone said, impressed. She spoke elegantly.

 _“It feels like home,”_ Kagami answered naturally. _“The moon is happy to have his children return to him after being gone for so long. These are tears of joy.”_

Kotone laughed, more than impressed now. _“Yes, they are,”_ she said, and they arrived in front of the shrine’s entrance, _“and those children are now my son-in-law and grandson. My daughter has brought honor and pride to our women ancestors, the shrine maidens who dedicated their lives to letting the great god sleep in peace.”_

_“My father never told me this.”_

_“That is because he promised to keep it a secret. I entrusted him with it while I kept it from my daughter. I felt I would not have to pass my duty on. It has been millenniums since the great god has been left behind by his children and the place in which he had decided to wait for them is here and tiny. Now that he has been reunited, he will fade back into the heavenly court within my lifetime. This shrine will be emptied, and there will no longer be a god to watch over.”_

Kagami began to put the pieces together as he wiped his tears against the back of his hand. _“The god felt their return in his sleep.”_

_“My, you certainly are gifted. Do you wish to say something to my god? Perhaps he will hear you in his dreams.”_

Kagami thought about it for a moment, but he shook his head. “He won't,” he replied knowingly, the tears stopping now. “I won't reach him.”

Kotone chuckled, looking up into the night sky. “Me neither,” she said. “It's been so long since he dreamt of me.”

.

.

.

“Tetsuya, you've been stiff all night,” Yasu noted out loud as everyone settled once more for tea after dinner. His expressionless eyes glanced over to his son. “Is something the matter?”

“I've noticed too,” Ayane agreed, lifting her head up from her husband's shoulder in concern. “Are you feeling well, Te-chan?”

Kagami agreed in his head.

“He’s probably nervous about his friend meeting his parents,” Yū suggested. “It's the first time Tetsuya-kun found out that we've been friends for so long.”

“Perhaps he is,” Chiyo agreed. “It's regretful that none of us has spoken to each other to our sons. Still, the fact that they had managed to become such close friends without knowing must mean it is fate that we are this close.”

Kagami knew his mother wasn't wrong about that. He lifted a hand to tap his partner on the face. “Hey, Kuroko, are you alright?” he asked. “You're quieter than usual. Are you still broken?”

“Taiga,” Yū said tiredly. His son may never let him live that moment down.

Kuroko looked like he snapped out of his thoughts the moment Kagami touched him, and he placed a hand over his partner’s. “I'm sorry,” he said, much to Kotone’s amusement. “Mom, Dad, Grandma, I have a confession to make.”

“Hey, Kuroko, what are you doing?” Kagami asked, getting nervous himself. He felt his face flush in anticipation.

“What is it, Te-chan?” Kotone asked, urging her grandson on. “Does it have something to do with Taiga?”

Kuroko turned to face his family, sitting right next to Kagami as he interlocked their hands, and he lowered his head respectfully. “Mother, Father, Grandmother,” he started again, “I would like to formally introduce Taiga - kun, my partner and light, to you as my boyfriend. I beg that you approve of my choice.”

Kagami felt his heart flutter, lowering his head too. “Please,” he added. It was lame, but he didn't know what else to say.

Rather than heard a response, Kagami saw it, a radiating light coming from before him, and he and Kuroko lifted their heads up. All three of the older Kurokos were smiling, an inherent light coming from them. Oh, Kuroko’s rare expression of joy came from both his mother and his father.

“Wonderful,” Yasu said first, his tone vibrant for the first time tonight. “Absolutely wonderful. I never thought you'd bring someone home so soon, Tetsuya. I thought you'd be like your father and marry when you're closer to forty.”

“You’ve grown up so much, Te-chan,” Ayane said proudly, clasping her hands together. Her laughter danced in the air like snowflakes. “You have your own cherished person now.”

Yū patted his surrogate sister in the head, that time with only gentleness.

“I more than approve of Taiga,” the head of the house proclaimed. “His place by your side settles my heart, Te-chan.”

Kagami thought he was going to burst into tears again, but he felt Kuroko grip his hand tighter so he smiled instead. “I like you, Kuroko,” he whispered, teasing his boyfriend with the same words he had messaged earlier.

Kuroko had a light pink on his cheek, a soft smile on his face. “I like you too, Kagami-kun,” he whispered back.

Then there was a slight tremor, and Kagami stopped. No one else seemed to have noticed, all but Kotone who gave the other a knowing look.

* * *

**Original Character Information**

the Kuroko (黒子 - "black child") family: It is original a line of _miko_ (巫女 - “shrine maiden”) who were originally entrusted by a divine retainer of the moon god to watch over his secret slumber. Once prosperous, the Kuroko line was matriarchal and had influence over the spirits of the region until enough time had passed that it is now believed to be a rumor that the moon god is sleeping in the Kuroko shrine.

Kuroko Ayane (彩音 - “colorful sound”): She is one of the last of the Kuroko line and is the childhood friend of Yū. She is Tetsuya's mother. She and Yū met when he accidently tripped over a crying Ayane (because he didn't recognize her presence) who was lost, and he quickly became her keeper as Ayane’s general nainvess and foolishness were too troublesome to ignore. Eventually, Yū developed an instinctual urge to hit Ayane for being so gullible and too soft hearted, and he would often chided her while being somewhat of a bully. They have grown up since then but have not let go of this brother-sister relationship. She is a commissioned watercolor painter with her own home studio.

Kuroko Kotone (琴音 - “harp sound”): She is one of the last of the Kuroko line, and she is Ayane’s mother and Tetsuya's grandmother. She is the only one left who aware of the sleeping moon god in the family. She shares the same character for 'sound’ (音) as her daughter.

Kuroko Yasu (安 - “peace, quiet”): He is a descendant of the moon god sleeping in the Kuroko family shrine. He took his wife's family name because he was an orphan. He was drawn to the Kuroko family shrine unknowingly due to the sleeping moon god, but he remained because of Ayane. He is the reason the Kagami family couldn't keep in contact because his presence tend to make technology go haywire if using it goes beyond twenty minutes. He is a published writer who has written historical fiction and romance, and he has dabbled with poetry and historical fantasy.

Tsukiyomi (月読 - “counting moons”): He is the god of the moon, and after his sister wife separated from him, he was left to wonder on mortal grounds. Eventually, after generations of wondering, he settled into a permanent location where he eventually began many families, which eventually splintered apart after he decided to go to sleep. His sleeping body is located in the Kuroko family shrine, and they were entrusted to let Tsukiyomi to continue sleeping. Due to their close proximity and duty to the god, at one point, the Kuroko family were enchanted with the ability to erase their presence, though the ability has become the default in the last several generations. Contrary to what Kotone believes, he will fade back into the heavenly court at the _end_ of her lifetime.


	3. Of the Royal Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the best time writing this; it's actually the first chapter of this work I ever wrote because I was very into TakaMido for a time. I still am, lol.

<Where we heading now?> Kagami asked, looking at the nicer attire he was asked to wear. It was his, but he rarely wore anything but sporty casual outside of school.  He was actually wearing a button up and a pair of beige pants to go with it. His shoes were one of his cleaner pair of sneakers.

Yū and Chiyo were dressed up nicely but simple as well, ready to go out for the night but not to a gala or a party. Kagami walked beside his parents through the well lit street of nice neighborhood several prefectures away, a short distance from the train station. His mother was carrying a sizable decorative box of _wagashi_ he knew she had selected herself the day before because he saw what was in it before it was wrapped, asking his father about them.

“We’re having dinner with my best friend from my high school days,” Chiyo explained, her _hikimayu_ marks looking darker than usual. “I called her before we took off, and she was so excited to see me again. She wants to see you, Taiga, and to show me her children.”

“Oh, okay,” Kagami said, nodding along. “What kind of person is she?”

“You've met her before, but that was when you were very young so you probably don't remember. Shinju is a doctor with her own clinic, and she was brought up similar to me, her family a branch of one of the old royal families that survive to this day. However, she may look delicate and soft, always remember that she is more like a spider, baby,” Chiyo said, laughing at old memories. “Her cunning is how she snatched her husband Kaede.”

“I remember the wedding,” Yū said. “It’s rare for a man to give up his family name for his wife’s, but the Midorima family is the kind to eat people alive, aren't they? Even if Shinju has been pushed aside for marrying a lower class man.”

Kagami paused his thought process, catching a familiar name. “Midorima?” he repeated.

Chiyo hushed her husband, though a smile was lightly on her lips. “Shinju _is_ a good person, Yū,” she argued lightly.

Kagami really wanted to turn around and walk all the way back to his apartment, but it seemed that his mother was very enthusiastic to see her friend and introducing him to her. So he'd have to make due and be live with being in an awkward situation for the next few hours visiting.

“Ah, there it is,” Chiyo pointed out, speaking about the nice two story house at the end of the street.

It wasn't really large or anything overwhelming, but a simple home nestling in between other homes. Its front entrance was right on the sidewalk, two plaques right beside it to indicate the address of the house and the family that resided in it.

Kagami would have imagined that his mother would be nervous, seeing her best friend for the first time in years, but Chiyo confidently lifted up a hand and knocked on the wooden door with elegance and poise, the tapping of her fist like a three beat melody.

The door opened, and Kagami saw a taller woman with a little frame with green hair, just long enough to be put up in a light bun with metal hair sticks. Turquoise beads hung at its ends, jiggling as she moved. And she was a very beautiful woman, in the way that reminded Kagami of Himuro because despite the vibrantness of her green hair, it was thin and loose, her bangs covering her face part way yet he could see the outlines of her features, from her dark hazel eyes to her soft cheekbones. She resembled a regal figure from Japan’s past, living fine and pleasantly in today’s time.

“Hello, Shinju,” Chiyo greeted, holding the decorative box of _wagashi_ up to the hostess of the house. “You have yet to have wane with the moon.”

The green colored woman, Shinju, readily accepted the _omiyage_ , smiling wonderfully. “Hello, Chiyo,” she replied, sounding almost ready to burst into joyous laughter. “Please come in. Kaede and I have been waiting for you.”

She opened the door wider and stepped to the side to make space, and the Kagami family entered, saying, “Pardon the intrusion.” The tall woman quickly ushered them into the dining room, placing the decorative box on the counter for later.

“Oh, Chiyo,” Shinju said as she sat her friend and her son and husband down at the table, the bowls and chopsticks already laid out waiting for dinner. She grasped her friend by the hands, squeezing them lightly. “I've missed you so much. You must promise me that you'd visit again very soon.”

Chiyo smiled, squeezing back in return. “I will,” she replied. “I've missed you so much.”

Kagami and his father patiently remained silent as the two women discussed pleasantry and share a story or two, their affection for each other expressed in way that wasn't words. Yū smiled as he looked happily at his wife smiling and speaking almost animatedly. Kagami was more than happy that his mother was happy.

Soon, Shinju turned over her to other two guests because she had not forget them. “It's wonderful to see you in such good health, Yū.”

Yū nodded in return. “Thank you, Shinju,” he said. “You're more exquisite than I recall. Is Kaede home? And your children?”

“Yes, my son’s getting dressed while Kaede is helping Himei. They'll be down soon because they know we're expecting guests. And Taiga-kun, you've grown up so big. And very fit. I can see that you're also into sports.”

Kagami lowered his head in respect. “Yes,” he said. “It's nice to see you again, Shinju-san. I hope you're doing well.”

“Thank you, Taiga-kun. I think you and Shntarō will get along well. Look, there is he. Shintarō, come greet our guests.”

Coming down the stairs, hand on the railing, was another green colored figure that Kagami was most familiar with, the other boy pressing his glasses back while his hair was combed back. He was still wearing bandages around his fingers, but he was also dressed in a nice shirt and pants, like Kagami was.

And the first thing to come out of the green boy’s mouth was, “Kagami, what are you doing in my house, nanodayo?”

Kagami rolled his eyes. He had hope that he was wrong, but that hope was dashed swiftly with one fell swoop.

“ _Shintarō_ ,” Shinju chided, looking surprised. “That is _not_ how you greet your guests.”

Midorima frowned, nodding apologetically towards his mother, not Kagami, and continued to look about the other boy warily. “Kagami,” he said again, his tone more stiff.

“Midorima,” Kagami said, trying to stay well behaved for his parents’ sake.

“Have you two met before?” Yū asked, raising an eyebrow. He was amused by this.

“We're rival, nanodayo,” Midorima quickly answered, coming up to the Kagami family, and held out a hand in greeting. “It's nice to see you again, Yū-san, Chiyo-san.”

Yū shook his hand. “It's nice to see you too, Shintarō-kun. You remember us?”

Midorima shook his head. “I truly don't recall you, but Mother said I have so I hope you'd treat me as kindly as you have before.”

“You've gotten so tall, Shintarō-kun,” Chiyo complemented with awe. “And you're so pretty, aren't you, just like Shinju? I see that the Midorima beauty continues on.”

Midorima’s cheek flushed lightly, not saying anything to argue against "pretty." “Thank you, Chiyo-san.”

“Sit, Shintarō,” Shinju said, smiling proudly, “and tell us how you know Taiga-kun.”

Midorima sat down next to Kagami, but only because his father should be sitting next to his mother and his sister would sit right between him and his father. Shinju was already sitting next to Chiyo, Yū and Kagami to her right as well.

“He came to school holding a toy frog said it was a bad day for Leos,” Kagami said, frowning at Midorima. Yes, he respected Midorima, as a rival, but someone had to consistently kick the green haired player down a peg. That was for certain.

Midorima frowned back, an eye twitching in irritation. “Fool,” he countered.

“ _Shintarō_ ,” Shinju warned again, almost frowning but not really. She placed a hand on her face as she let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Taiga-kun, for Shintarō's attitude. He's been anxious about his luck since middle school.”

“ _Mother_ ,” Midorima said, looking a little embarrassed. No need to tell his rival about this kind of thing, in front of his own parents no less.

Kagami laughed, but until his father slapped him in the head, smiling with amusement. “You're not without fault either, Taiga,” he said. “You’re supposed to make your friends look good for their parents. Parents want to hear about how good their child have been.”

“We're not friends,” Kagami and Midorima replied simultaneously, a reaction to which the both of them responded irritatedly as they clicked their tongues loudly and turned their heads the other way.

“You seem close enough to be so,” Chiyo commented, chuckling. Then she looked to her friend. “Did Shintarō inherit the Midorima curse, Shinju? I remember you carrying charms during our school days.”

Kagami’s eyes widened. “That's inherited?” he asked. “Not just a weird thing he does?”

“Quiet, you,” Midorima ordered, kicking Kagami with his foot under the table.

“Watch it!”

Again, Yū slapped his son across the head, shaking his own. “No fighting,” he said. “You can do that on the court, since you're rivals.”

That made Kagami grin, almost cockily, as he eyed Midorima. “I'm definitely going to win again next time, Midorima,” he promised. “Watch me dunk from the floor.”

Midorima huffed, unknowingly hiding a smile as he pressed his glasses back, and he looked back at Kagami with determination in his green eyes. “My shots never miss, Kagami,” he replied, promising the same thing.

Chiyo and Shinju smiled at each other, glad that their sons were already great friends, despite how much they deny it.

“I'll be bringing out the food now,” the hostess said, getting up. She quickly pushed her friend to sit back down when Chiyo was about to offer help. “You're a guest tonight, Chiyo. Let Shintarō entertain you, and hopefully, Kaede would be done with Himei before I get back.”

Chiyo nodded, and Shinju stepped into the kitchen.

“Mom, what's the Midorima curse?” Kagami asked out of curiosity. He always thought the lucky charms thing was just a weird habit the shooting guard just had, but there was an implication that it was more that, that Midorima's obsession with them was a lot more troublesome that it may appear to others.

Chiyo turned to her son, glancing over to Midorima. “Maybe you should ask Shintarō-kun, Taiga,” she said, looking a little guilty. “That is if he wants to answer.”

Kagami shrugged. “Midorima?”

Midorima quietly adjusted his glasses again. “It's not very well known, but my family comes from a royal line so we are prone to being cursed and blessed by spirits and gods,” he started out, almost hesitant to explain. “The Midorima branch has infamously been allotted one blessing and one curse, nanodayo. Both can only be inherited from the one who is born cursed. The curse is that you produce misfortune outside the sanctuary of your own home. My mother had it when she was younger, and it was passed down to me. Astrologists can unknowingly charm items so they are the best to canceling out the misfortune, nanodayo.”

Kagami frowned, feeling kind of bad for the times he chuckled at Midorima's absurd lucky items in the past before. “What about the blessing then?”

Midorima paused for a moment. “My little sister inherited it,” he replied, not getting into any details about that. “The only thing fortunate about the curse was that it wasn't her.”

That was very sweet, actually. Kagami could obviously tell that Midorima cared for his sister very much because he would say the same thing if he and Himuro had this problem. “Alright,” he commented. “If you want, I could ask Fumi to come and help you break the curse. She's really good at that.”

Midorima rolled his eyes. “Curses from gods are not easy to break, Kagami. And who's Fumi?”

“She's my cousin, and she's the spiritual leader of my family.”

“No thanks,” Midorima said, shaking his head lightly. “It's likely the curse will die out anyway because of me.”

Kagami thought about for a while. Then he smiled. “You and, uh, yeah?” he whispered.

Midorima didn't dignify that with a reply, turning his attention to a pair of footsteps coming down the stairs. Kagami could already guess that they must be Midorima's father and sister, but he was surprised by their appearances.

Midorima Kaede was unexpectedly a plain looking man, if only compared to the rest of his family. He was shorter than his wife by an inch or so, his hair naturally dusty blonde and his slit iris eyes amber. It seemed as if neither of his children had taken as much after him with looks, except for those long eyelashes that seemed to brush like feathers whenever Midorima closed his eyes. He was plain, yes, but he was plain in the way Himuro would be, a flower in a meadow of lush green (Kagami had to reconsider exactly how pretty his brother was at this point.)

And Midorima Himei, _kami-sama,_ she was like an angel, a _tenin_ like child who took after the so-called Midorima beauty because she resembled her mother the most with thin, green hair which fell down to her waist like a train. Kagami could already tell that she was going to be tall and very beautiful with a dreamy expression on her face, her arms wrapped around her father’s neck. She seemed a feudal princess, though her dress much simpler and modern.

“Kaede,” Yū greeted first, getting up from his seat. Chiyo followed. “It's great to see you again.”

“Yes,” Kaede replied with a nod, his tone calm. “Your absence has been notable, as was yours, Chiyo.”

“We've missed you too,” Chiyo confessed. “Is this your daughter? She's beautiful.”

Kaede simply nodded as he shifted his daughter in his arms. “Himei, this is Kagami Chiyo and Yū. They're very important people to your mother and me. Would you greet them properly?”

Himei, looking with big green eyes, quietly lowered her head dutifully, and she said in a near whisper, “Hello.”

Kagami’s parents cooed over that, happy to finally meet their friends’ daughter for the first time. She looked like she was still in elementary school, so she was born sometime after they'd move to the States. Chiyo was gushing at her best friend's daughter, Yū already doting.

“Shin-nii,” Himei called out for her big brother, and Kagami couldn't help but snort in laughter, pressing a hand against his mouth in order to save both him and Midorima some embarrassment.

Midorima sighed, getting up to answer his little sister’s call. Kaede passed his daughter to his son, and the three parents sat down again, Kaede leaving a seat between Chiyo and himself for his wife later. They started to talk, caught in the moment of meeting again, but Kagami tuned them out for the little sister who was currently sitting on her brother's lap like he was her own personal throne.

“Hi, I'm Taiga,” he introduced himself to her with a gentle smile. He wasn't good with children much because he never really interacted with them, but it didn't mean he hated them or was mean to them because of that. He actually thought they were cute, but he was always worried that he'd accidentally hurt them with his height and love for basketball. He could never play one-on-one with a kid. “I’ve played against your brother.”

Himei looked at him, smiling a little. “Hi,” she quietly answered back, waving a hand at him even though she didn't need to. “I'm Himei. Shin-nii is really good playing basketball, ne?”

“Yeah, he's really good, but I'm better.”

“Kagami,” Midorima said, rolling his eyes again.

A gasp, and the green princess was pouting, puffing her cheeks in disagreement. “No one's better than Shin - nii,” she rebutted, sticking out her tongue.

If that was his Kuroko, Kagami would have hit him, but it was a little girl. Besides, her brother was Midorima. Kagami would be killed. “Why don't you come to one of our games and see for yourself, Himei?” he said instead.

Himei gasped in awe, nodding her head. Her hair moved like leaves in the wind with her movement. “Shin-nii is going to beat you, and I'm going to cheer the loudest,” she said, smiling brightly like the sun. Reminded Kagami of a certain yellow haired copycat. She looked up to her brother. “You're going to take me, right?”

Midorima shook his head lightly. “The games run for too long, Himei,” he reasoned. “You'd be out past your bedtime and get cranky, nanodayo, so you need your rest. I'll take you when you're older.”

Himei looked like she was going to cry, drops of tears crystallizing at the corner of her eyes, and Midorima sighed, wiping them from her face as he cupped his hand. “I know what you're doing,” he said without much sympathy. “Crocodile tears won't work on me. Remember, you're not supposed to do that in front of strangers.”

“Kinda harsh, Midorima,” Kagami commented, but he was caught by the little girl’s tears because the moment they fell and dropped onto Midorima's hand, they turned into _pearls_. All of the sudden, something clicked. “Kokehime.”

The adults’ conversation stopped, hearing what Kagami had announced. Kaede chuckled, amused by this. “Correct,” he said, as if he knew about a lot of things. “You have a lot of potential, Taiga-kun.”

Midorima raised an eyebrow in question, because he didn't know what Kagami had to do with his family heritage. Unless of course Kagami had his own.

Himei laughed, as if she understood secrets beyond the world. _“You are like my older brother and me, are you not?”_ she asked, and Kagami didn't noticed the shift in speech and language. _“He is an heir as well, but the age of gods and spirits are no more. He is a displaced princess.”_

 _“You are very well versed, Himei,”_ Kagami replied naturally, easily going along. _“And princess? Your older brother is a man, not a woman.”_

She laughed again, covering her mouth with her hands. _“The blessing of Kokehime was bestowed on the prince, the curse of Momiji on the princess. If traditions still stands, he should have been revered as one despite so, and by right, the position of the family head should be mine.”_

 _“Taiga, Himei,”_ Yū interrupted, the clarity of his words less refined than Himei’s but still recognizable, _“private conversation in front of other company is rude.”_

“Sorry, Yū-ojīsan” Himei said, frowning a little as she settled against her brother’s chest.

“What was that about?” Midorima asked, sounding and looking confused. He placed an arm around his little sister, almost glaring at Kagami because he heard speak something different. It wasn't Japanese, but he was sure that if he tried to follow their conversation better, he would've understood it. In his hand, he was holding onto two pearls. “Father?”

Kaede reached over to brush his hand through his son’s hair, despite how tall Midorima was. “It's okay, Shintarō,” he assured. “I promise it wasn't anything threatening. Though now I know that Himei has a very _ambitious_ goal.”

Himei merely smiled at her father, giggling when it was her turn.

Midorima continued to frown, not looking at Kagami with kind eyes. “You'll have to explain this to me in more detail soon, nanodayo.”

“I'll leave it to your mother. It's her side of the family that got us into this mess.”

Chiyo laughed at that. “Don't forget to tell Shintarō-kun about all the trouble you went through,” she said. “I remember when you were still Natsume Kaede.”

Kagami’s eyes widened, looking at his father. <Dad, how is he _lower class_? > he asked in near disbelief. <Like of _the_ Natsume Reiko and her grandson Takashi? Nonna used to tell me stories about them!>

Yū shrugged. <He is in the eyes of nobility and royalty,> he replied. <And he's half-Chinese. Traditionalist don't approve of mixing blood.>

Kagami growled. What idiots the other branches were for not accepting this man. As Himei had said earlier, if this was still the age of spirits and gods, Midorima Kaede would've been a prized consort, his son an even greater one if what Himei said was true.

“Kagami, stop looking so grim, nanodayo,” Midorima snapped lightly, moving his sister to sit on the empty seat between him and their father.

That was when Shinju returned, and dinner finally got started, the conversation from earlier gone as the adults began to talk again, their sons listening quietly and answering when they were spoken to. It was a complete change of pace, but it was a nice one because it was mainly Chiyo and Shinju catching up over the other things they didn't discuss more over the phone when they called.

The entire time, Kagami had to try to keep from smiling too widely as he saw that Midorima was his sister’s own personal caretaker, wordlessly helping her stay clean while eating. He also made sure she ate slowly that she would learn how to savor her food and drank water every so often to digest. Kagami would never admit it, but he thought it was cute, especially when Midorima would gently chided his sister once or twice. The shooting guard was a jerk at times, but he was pretty gentle and affectionate when it came to those he cared about. This must be the _tsundere_ thing he had heard Takao laugh too much about. Kagami was starting to get the appeal, he guessed, but it'd still take some time.

And during the conversation, Kagami found out that Kaede and his father were high school friends too, and it was his parents who introduced the two eventually in college.

After an hour or so, dinner was done, and Shinju suggested to move into the living room and partake in the _wagashi_ with tea continuing the conversation on more comfortable seating.

“Why don't you and Chiyo settle down first, Shin-chan?” Kaede asked after his wife suggested the idea. He was already up, picking up the plates and chopsticks.

“I'll help Kaede,” Yū said, doing the same. “We’ll bring out the sweets and the tea.”

Shinju smiled affectionately at her husband, and nodded. The wives and mothers went on ahead, speaking lively with each other even more.

“Shin - nii, I want to play!” Himei added, as Midorima wiped her chin dutifully. “Can we?”

“We have to clean up first,” Midorima replied, handing her the glass of water placed far enough not to spill off the edge but also not in his sister’s reach.

“I'll help too,” Kagami joined in, “sir.”

“You three can go,” Kaede said, chuckling as he patted his daughter’s head gently. “Yū and I can handle it, and I suppose you'd want to do something else than listen to your parents talk. Go take Himei outside, Shintarō, Taiga.”

“Okay then,” Midorima said, instinctively lifting his sister up in his arms. “Thank you, Father, Yū-san.”

“Thanks,” Kagami said politely too before he had to catch up with Midorima's longer strides because the bastard didn't wait for him.

Midorima led Kagami to the back, into the backyard which was space with a cobblestone driveway and a grassy area. On the cobblestone was a lone hoop, two orange basketballs in the pouch attached to it. Kagami got excited, heading over to grab a ball.

“I wish I had one of these on top of the apartment,” he said, bouncing the ball a few times. “I wouldn't have to waste time walking to the park.”

“It was a gift from my parents for my 15th birthday,” Midorima explained, putting his sister down. “Be careful not to break it, nanodayo.”

“No way I ever would. I have one back at home in the States too.”

Himei held her hands out towards Kagami. “Tai-nii!” she called out, childishly excited from the two point line. “Pass!”

Kagami was curious, so he carefully threw her the ball. Unexpectedly, she caught it quite easily for someone her size, only half his height, and what even more unexpected was that she attempted a shot from that distance and amazingly, the ball managed to reach the rim. It was shot from such an angle that it was about to fall out, not even touching the net, but instead, it rolled along the hoop until it spiraled in.

“I did it!” Himei loudly cheered, jumping up and down in joy. She ran back to her brother and looked up to him. “Did you see, Shin-nii? Himei is going to shoot like you!”

“That's a start,” Midorima replied, brushing a bandaged hand through her hair in praise. The small upturn of his lips showed that he was very pleased, despite how curt his words were.

“You’re gentle with her,” Kagami noted, basketball back in his hands. “Hey, Himei, want to watch me dunk?”

“Okay!” Himei immediately answered, bouncing where she stood. “Shin-nii don’t do dunks well. Kazu-nii does it better.”

Kagami snickered, ignoring Midorima’s unimpressed expression. He walked to the other side of the hoop, and he started running, dribbling until he leaped. He focused on the hoop, basketball in one hand as he slammed the ball into the basket, landing on his feet. It was as fluid as one, two, three.

“Wow, Tai-nii!” Himei said, awesome by Kagami’s jump. “You flew! I want to dunk too.”

“Huh?” Kagami let out, raising an eyebrow. “You're too short.”

Again, Himei looked like she was about to cry, tears welling at the corner of her eyes and threatening to call. This reminded Kagami of the time he made Momoi cry, and he really didn't want a repeat of that.

“Crocodile tears,” Midorima assured, brushing her tears again. Again, there landed two small pearls in his hand, and he carefully pocketed them. “Mother is going to be worried if she finds out that you cried in front of strangers, nanodayo.”

“Tai-nii isn't a stranger,” Himei argued, crossing her arms. “He understands."

Midorima didn't get what she meant, sighing. He looked to Kagami. “You knew about the divinity in my family, Kagami. How?”

Kagami shrugged, throwing the ball again into the hoop. “I just do, I guess,” he replied. “I think my great-grandfather passed her knowledge down to me when I was younger, and I can recognize the divine and make connections. Momiji is a god of misfortune, and Kokehime a land god of Kantō. The Midorima family, being of a royal line, are favored by spirits and gods, so that's probably why your hair is green. I should've have thought that when I first saw you, but you coming out of nowhere with a cart made me forget about it.

“The stories of a god of misfortune involving Momiji are few, only one cursing a princess. I guess your ancestors prayed for fortune but invoked the wrong deity, so they struck a contract with Momiji instead. In return for a prospering line, there much be a direct line of first borns to bear the weight of misfortune for the family. When that direct line ends, Momiji's curse is lifted and the contract is broken.”

“It doesn't sound like a curse when you say it like that,” Midorima said, catching the ball Kagami threw him and making one of his high arc shots perfectly.

Kagami snorted. “A curse is a curse if it’s consequences are bad to the one who has received it. Blessings, on the other hand, are applied the same way, but the effects are usually good and worthy of worship. Like Kokehime’s blessing, but since only the cursed ones can pass on both of them, I'm guessing they made a human sacrifice to the land god involving one of their sons. It was enough to be blessed, but the sin of sacrificing a kin probably set back the full potential of the blessing.”

Himei made a face like she sucked on a lemon. “That’s really mean, Tai-nii,” she commented. “I'm glad I'm not boy.”

“You'll be fine, Himei,” Kagami told her, pointing a finger at the sky in emphasis. “Being blessed is rare, and trying to get a second blessing is very dangerous. Gods don't like to their powers to be used like accessories.”

Midorima huffed. “Then what about you, Kagami?” he asked. “You had a stupid look in your face when you heard my father’s original name, nanodayo. Why is that?”

Kagami sighed, dribbling the ball back in his hand. Himei had taken to the little game of trying to steal it from him, which was a difficult attempt with his skills but very much worth the try. With his free hand, he gestured to Midorima.

“Those pearls from just now,” he said, no explanation as of yet, “toss them to me.”

Midorima looked at him oddly, placing a hand over his pocket almost protectively. It seemed that he was very cautious about his sister’s safety, which Kagami suspected of. Midorima was considerate of others, giving both Kagami and Kuroko advice and hints many times over the year, so he should be cautious of those who'd try to steal his sister away if they knew of her ability.

“Trust me,” Kagami said, about to reveal a secret.

He gestured his hand again, and this Midorima relented, though slowly. Taking the two pearls out of his pocket, the shooting guard threw the tiny spheres at Kagami, just as he was told.

And Kagami only needed to breathe out his command, _“O rivers of Kokehime, converge with my will.”_

The pearls never landed on Kagami’s outreached hands, or on the ground. Instead, they came to life set a-flamed with a soft red light, settling almost in midair. They were silently burning, whistling as Kagami began to move his hand and the pearls. Midorima watched in disbelief.

“Pretty,” Himei said, reaching out for one. She grabbed it, and she breathed out into it. A lone firefly in its adult prime hatched form it, twinkling twice before it flew away into the night. That left one burning light in the air.

“What?” Midorima said, eyes so wide that his lashes scraped on his soft cheekbones. “Is this magic?”

“It’s _onmyōdō,_ ” Kagami said, shrugging again. He didn't really have an understanding of his powers since he always tuned out his cousin’s lectures and was focused on basketball. “I can't do more than that, really, since I haven't done purification rituals since I was a kid. Anyway, anything natural produced by divine power are great mediums for magic. You can perform almost any kind of magic on them for many different uses.”

“And my father?”

“The Natsume line is infamous for being powerful against yokai and stuff. They have a history of binding strong yokai and spirits as servants, but that ability skips around generations. Do you want the pearl back, Midorima?”

Letting out a loud sigh, Midorima nodded, taking the pearl back from midair. Again, he pocketed it, holding his hands out for the ball. Kagami threw it to him, and Himei was already running towards the two point line. Midorima threw it at her at an appropriate velocity, and she made another shot, less tittering than the first one.

“What do you do with those things?” Kagami asked, thinking how Midorima could actually the pearls as charms too. And they'd be much better ones. Midorima should've been told this, but Kagami wasn't about to complicated more than necessary. Midorima was doing quite well despite merely using the recommended items, so he didn't t think of that. “You could use them as charms for your curse, you know.”

Midorima let out a huff, nodding. “My parents and I plan to save them until Himei reaches adulthood and sell them off to give her a good start, nanodayo,” he explained. “I prefer they were used for her own sake than anyone else’s.”

Kagami had to smile at that, chuckling. “That'd work. Mediums lose their powers over time, especially when they're not very big.”

“That's good to know.”

Himei stomped her feet, arms crossed to get their attention. “I want to dunk!” she repeated. “Shin-nii!”

Midorima sighed, shaking his head. “It's night time, Himei,” he lightly chided. “You'll disturb the neighbors if you're too loud. Come over here.”

Himei did as she was told, standing in front of her brother. Midorima turned her around to face the hoop, and he gestured for the ball, catching the one Kagami threw to him. He gave the ball to his little sister, placing his hands just below her arms.

“In order to do this,” he started, pointing the hoop, “we're going to have to start with a run. Make sure you keep dribbling, and when I say jump, jump. Understand, Himei?”

Himei nodded, getting excited. Kagami had to cover his mouth because he couldn't stop smiling as he watched her start running, Midorima following right behind her. And she did good, dribbling the ball as she made her way towards the hoop, and she made the jump, almost instinctive as her brother made the call.

She jumped with all her might, and with a little help, she made it up into the air, Midorima’s height and strength more than capable of taking her there. And she threw the ball in, both hands.

“I did it!” Himei cheered when she landed back on the ground. Midorima didn't have a chance to let go because she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a hug.

“You did,” Midorima said, a soft smile on his face that felt rare. He held her in his arms, brushing a hand through her hair. “That was very excellent, nanodayo.”

It was a few moments later that Himei let go, grinning happily.

“Midorima,” Kagami said, holding up the ball. “One-on-one?”

Midorima huffed again, pressing his glasses back. “Why not?”

* * *

**Original Character Information**

Kokehime (苔姫 - “moss princess”): She is a land god who blessed the Midorima line due to a human sacrifice made in her name. However, as Kagami stated, her blessing didn't reach full potential due to the fact it was paid for with kin blood, and thus her blessing was linked with Momiji’s curse. It can only be inherited by only one child of the the one bearing the curse.

The idea was inspired by the character Kokehime from _Nurarihyon no Mago._

the Midorima (緑間 - 'green distance’) family: It is an old family descendant of the samurai and royal line.

Midorima Himei (日命 - “life of the sun”): She is the younger sister of Midorima, blessed by the land god Kokehime. Her hair has always been that long and any attempts to cut it would result in its regrowth overnight. She's very good at pretending to cry, thus those pearls are relatively small compared and less pure than her actual tears. Her name was created to be a play on words involving the phonetic homophones of the Chinese _mei_ (美 - “beauty”) and the Japanese _me_ (め) in _hime_ (姫 - “princess”), thus the nicknames “beautiful sun” (日美) and “sun princess” (ひめい). She is currently in sixth grade and looks up to her older brother. As stated, she has the goal of becoming the next head of the entire Midorima family.

Midorima Kaede (楓 - “maple”): His original name was Natsume Kaede, which was inspired by the character Natsume Takashi from _Natsume Yūjin-chō._ The Natsume family’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts and spirits have long been passed on, though it may skip generations. He took his wife’s name due to her higher status, and he hopes that there would be less trouble for his children whose ancestry would be less recognizable by spirits and those who deal with them. Due to his mixed heritage, his children are a quarter Chinese, though they took after their mother in looks the most. He is Yū’s friend from high school, and they were spiritually attracted towards each other. Yū introduced Kaede to Shinju. He currently works as an at-home editor for a publishing company, so he works professionally with Kuroko Yasu. He is referred to as 'otōsama’ (お父様 - very respectful 'Father’) by both his children.

Midorima Shinju (真珠 - “pearl”): She is the best friend of Chiyo from high school and was also raised in a strict household due to royal lineage. She met Kaede in college and married him despite protest by her family, and ultimately, she decided to leave the main house but didn't cut them off completely because she knew that the fortunate of the Midorima family depends on her inheritance of the curse. She met Kaede through Yū, Kaede’s high school friend. Her name shares the same character for 'truth’ (真) as Shintarō, thus her son was named in honor of her. Coincidentally, the meaning of her name is 'pearl’ so somehow the idea of crying pearls fits even more. She is referred to as ‘haha-ue’ (母上 - polite and formal 'Mother’) by her children.

Momiji (紅葉 - “crimson leaf”): She was the god of misfortune from whom the ancient Midorima family accidentally called upon instead of a god of fortune. She was a fickle god, so rather than outright cursing the Midorima family, she decided that in order to teach them a lesson, one member of the family will be forced to suffer misfortune in the place of the entire family. This curse is inherited by the eldest of the eldest, thus succession became allotted to the next in line.

The idea was inspired by Momiji Binboda from _Binbō-gami ga!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Himei is my favorite original character and I love Natsume Takashi. Also, I'm so psyched that I made Midorima a quarter-Chinese. I just think that's so cool, ya know? I just love this family.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work(s), please check out my Twitter and consider supporting me: [@kappachyun](https://twitter.com/kappachyun?s=09).


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